Night guards have variable life spans depending on how much wear and tear they go through and how well you care for them.
Dr. Kim will examine the condition of your teeth and assess your symptoms to determine if you’re a good candidate for a night guard.
We will take impressions of your teeth and send them to a dental lab in charge of creating your night guard.
Your impressions will serve as a model for your custom night guard. Unlike a store-bought mouthguard, it will fit the precise parameters of your teeth for a snug but comfortable fit. Fabrication can take a few weeks.
Once we have received your night guard, we’ll call you back to the office to pick them up and you can begin wearing them. You should wear it to sleep every night.
Your night guard is only temporary. It can become damaged or worn down over time so you will eventually need to replace it.
If you notice signs of damage, enamel erosion, chips, or broken teeth, you may be grinding your teeth in your sleep. When you grind your teeth, you exert incredible force on your teeth which far outweighs the force you exert when you are chewing food.
This can put you at risk for severe damage or even tooth loss. If you notice signs of teeth grinding/jaw clenching or if someone else has informed you that you do it, you need to wear a night guard to protect your teeth.
Your temporomandibular joint is a sliding hinge joint in your jaw that connects your jaw to your skull on both sides. When there is dysfunction in this joint, it can cause significant pain, jaw strain, clicking and popping sounds, difficulty chewing, and difficulty opening or closing the mouth.
While there isn’t a specific known cause of TMD, many people with TMD also have bruxism, a misaligned bite, arthritis, or suffered from a jaw injury. You may experience radiating pain in the jaw, throughout the face, ears, neck, and shoulders, or experience frequent headaches. A mouthguard
Patients with a misaligned bite are at a higher risk for teeth grinding and developing TMD. This is because when the bite isn’t properly aligned, your teeth can rub against each other which can cause damage.
A misaligned bite can also place strain on your jaw, causing dysfunction of the jaw’s joint that leads to TMD symptoms. A mouthguard will help by holding your jaw in the proper alignment and reducing jaw strain.
Wearing a night guard can reduce headaches caused by bruxism and TMD.
You should wear your night guard every single night to get the maximum benefits. However, the night guard will need to be replaced over time. A night guard can last anywhere from 6 months to 3 years, but it depends on wear and tear and how well you care for it.
You should attend regular dental appointments and have your dentist check the condition of your night guard. They can let you know when it’s time for a replacement.
Yes, it’s important to clean your night guard every single day. You should always rinse it out whenever taking it out or before placing it back in your mouth. At least once a day, you should brush your night guard with a soft bristle toothbrush and lukewarm water. Brush all of the surfaces to remove food particles and bacteria.
Once a week, you should deep clean your mouthguard with a denture-cleaning solution. After you clean your night guard, it needs to be left out to dry before putting it back in its storage case.
If you have TMD, wearing a night guard can reduce pain and improve jaw mobility over time.
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